Data for Progress

New Data for Progress polling finds Alaska voters contending with a widespread and worsening affordability crisis and increasingly opposed to Governor Mike Dunleavy, who has grown deeply unpopular after repeatedly taking positions out of line with Alaska voters. Against this backdrop, former Representative Mary Peltola and Representative Nick Begich lead their races for U.S. Senate and House.

This summer, Elon Musk became the world’s first trillionaire. Yet, in 2025, nearly 2 in 5 Americans could not afford a $400 emergency expense. As the rich get richer, the poor get poorer, and voters are recognizing how extreme wealth not only exploits the working class, but also negatively influences politics.

A majority of voters support adopting all tested policies that would limit profiteering and increase financial transparency from elected officials. Voters have notably high intensity in their support for these proposals, with a majority of voters saying they “strongly support” most of these policies.

A strong majority of voters (73%) consider environmental sustainability policies somewhat or very important for their communities, compared with just 21% who do not. Across partisan and demographic groups, voters say these policies are important. Additionally, a majority of voters (53%) believe that policies implemented at the city and community level can be somewhat or very effective in addressing climate change and mitigating its impacts.

With the midterm elections less than four months away, some analysts are already predicting it will be the most expensive midterm cycle in U.S. history, with spending expected to reach $10.8 billion over the cycle to support or oppose candidates across the ballot. This year, outside spending money has broken through in Democratic primaries like never before. In New York's 12th Congressional District, artificial intelligence (AI) super PACs poured more than $27 million into the June 23 primary.

On Aug. 4, voters in Ann Arbor, Michigan, will go to the polls to select their Democratic nominee for mayor — a matchup between incumbent Mayor Christopher Taylor and challenger Yousef Rabhi, Washtenaw County commissioner and former state legislator. From July 17–20, Data for Progress and Lead Locally conducted a survey of likely Democratic primary voters in Ann Arbor.

In January, the Trump administration’s Operation Metro Surge targeted Minneapolis with an influx of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, resulting in the deaths of two civilians. Data for Progress polling at the time found that a majority of voters thought ICE was not justified in killing Minneapolis woman Renee Good, and also found that the two ICE killings led to a major surge in unfavorable views toward ICE.

The rapid expansion of the use of AI has sparked concern about its impacts on the American economy and workers. As AI threatens to replace human workers and increases uncertainty in the U.S. job market, voters are seeking measures to regulate AI in the workplace. A new Data for Progress poll examined public support for policy proposals to regulate AI and assist workers displaced by the technology.

Oil and gas corporations have deceived the public for decades about how their products fuel climate change and threaten public health. These companies have a long track record of externalizing their negative costs – whether by causing environmental disasters like oil spills or rapidly increasing – and also minimizing their responsibility for these harms while advocating for policies that would shield them from accountability altogether.

Extreme heat is especially dangerous for workers, particularly those who labor outside. Many workers do not have access to — or employers simply do not provide — air-conditioned work environments, transportation that protects them from the heat, cooling or water breaks, or shade. As a result, extreme heat is one of the leading contributors to injuries and deaths on the job, particularly when temperatures exceed 90 F.